Wednesdays are always an in-between day at SXSW. Although there’s still a few Interactive sessions, most of the tech attendees have left. Music is starting to ramp up, but those folks don’t come for another day or two. The sidewalks aren’t as crowded and finding lunch is definitely easier.

Today was memorable for three reasons. First, during the NASA Keynote, Bill and I saw this never-before-seen image taken by the James Webb Space Telescope. Later in the afternoon, we watched the moving documentary STILL: A Michael J. Fox Story. In the evening, we even ate a real meal for dinner instead of just snacking. It was a fine day.

My entire morning was spent in Ballroom D, which typically has largest and most interesting sessions. After all that sitting, I visited more booths in the Creative Industries Expo—more baklava may have been consumed—and walked around outside to enjoy the sunny spring day. Eventually I made my way over to Zach Scott for a documentary about my idol, Mary Tyler Moore.

Due to the Daylight Savings Time switch, fewer sessions were scheduled for this morning, so I explored the Creative Industries Expo (formerly known as the SXSW Trade Show). I also visited the German Haus, The House of Denmark, and some pop-ups on Rainey Street. Free on-street Sunday parking made it easier for Bill and me to see a movie at Zach Scott Theatre and then drive up to the Austin Film Society for another screening. 

Three Interactive sessions and two narrative films make for a good SXSW day. Unfortunately, I was shut out of my favorite annual session, Amy Webb’s Emerging Trends. I hope to catch it online later this week.

Today was the first day Bill and I attended SXSW in-person in four years. As I had remembered from previous years, this first Friday was not too crowded. Out of town attendees were still arriving, and spring break week had already started in Austin. We attended Interactive sessions during the day and headed over to the Zach Scott Theatre for two movies in the evening.

After four long years, Bill and I are attending SXSW in person again! The cancellation of the March 2020 event was our first clue that the pandemic would be serious. Then we watched the online version of SXSW in 2021 and again in 2022. We enjoyed watching the movies at home, but the Interactive sessions weren’t too exciting.

First, a confession: this post is one year late. While preparing for SXSW 2023, I realized that I had never posted about last year’s conference. Back then, Bill and I decided to just stay home and watch online because the Omicron variant of Covid was still active. This was convenient, but not as much fun as experiencing SXSW in person. We watched some Interactive sessions and lots of movies—mostly documentaries since studio filming had shut down during the pandemic. We did venture downtown a few times to look around and listen to outdoor concerts. Here’s my notes and photos from SXSW 2022:

Flashback to March 2020: SXSW was abruptly cancelled just a few days before the conference was scheduled to begin. This was our first indication that the COVID-19 pandemic was a serious problem. Like most people, Bill and I had no idea how much our lives would change in the coming year.

Fast-forward to March 2021: Austin’s Stage 4 restrictions prohibited large gatherings, so SXSW pivoted to a five-day online event. Bill and I had deferred our 2020 passes to 2022, allowing us to attend this year, too. The online format had some advantages: less exhausting; no long lines; fewer decisions to make; watch on demand (mostly); pause and rewind capabilities. We also liked watching the movies from home. SXSW Film had an excellent selection of documentaries this year.